PsA Newbie from Wales

LaurenTee

Hello everyone

This forum looks like a great place for advice and support. I am inspired by how brave people are: talking about their experiences openly and honestly. Thank you!! I have felt quite alone and ashamed by my condition for a while now. Thank you for putting yourselves out there. Soooo I have never been part of a forum but I am desperate to build up my confidence and get my life back on track! Decided to take the plunge and join! Here goes nothing...

I am 25, secondary school teacher and have been struggling with PsA for about a year (although diagnosed officially for 5 months). I have found the worst parts are the tiredness and frustrations! I feel like a totally different person and am only starting to see how introverted I have become. I am hoping to be part of a community where people 'get me' and also get some self esteem back by sharing and helping others too!

Looking forward to talking to you all, Lauren

stickywicket

Hello Lauren and welcome. Yes, we 'get you'though we rather wish we didn't Please don't feel you have anything to be ashames of. I have much to be ashamed of in my life but not my RA. It arrived unbidden.I don't consider myself to blame foe it at all.

I hope you'll find us welcoming and informative. Please join im wherever you wish. I hope to see you around.

barbara12

Hello Lauren and a warm welcome from me, I am a lot older at 63.. :shock: its a bit of a shock when I say my age...still 20 in my mind..
Don't you feel ashamed..there are many on with the same,I have OA in multiple joints so sorry cant offer any advice, but you say you need a confidence boost, the forum will certainly help with that ..I joined 4 years ago now ..and yes my confidence is much higher..you will get lots of info and support...just pot your questions in LWA..I am sure someone will be along to help...x

dreamdaisy

Hello, I too have PsA plus OA and fibro. I am older than you but I do remember the isolation I felt because no-one in my social circle had anything like it (they still don't, dammit) and finding here was such a relief.

You are 'talking' to the initiated on here, we know a great deal about tiredness, frustration, problem-solving, being creative, coping with pain, you name it we can probably help with it.

What meds are you taking and are they helping? DD

Boomer13

Hi Lauren;

Sorry about your diagnosis but it's better to know what you are dealing with, isn't it?

I have PsA which is very painful and I know the irritability, fatigue and feeling-changed-as-a-person as well. Things have improved for me since I found this forum and I don't feel so isolated and misunderstood anymore.

Good luck, hope you stay with the forum; it's so helpful to learn what others with similar problems go through with meds, doctors, symptoms, etc.

Anna

FunkyCrunky

Hi Lauren,

I'm a newbie here and just waiting for the mods to approve my intro thread, but I have suffered with PsA since I was 13. I'm now 32 and have it literally everywhere all over my body. My markers are apparently where they should be, but I have damage everywhere from late diagnosis.

I completely understand your situation being fatigued all.the.time. And having low self-esteem, etc. I suffer with depression caused by the PsA and the lack of lifestyle from it.

How are you with the medical side of things? Are you under a consultants care with the hospital and in receipt of the correct medication? I think this is the most important thing for newly diagnosed people since the damage can set in within a week of symptoms sadly. And once damage sets in, the pain will never go away despite markers coming down. That's something that took me a while to understand as my consultant would say that I was doing great and I couldn't understand it since I am in constant pain.